1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to traction devices, and, more particularly, to a cervical traction device and method of using the same to improve the cervical and lumbar lordotic curves.
2. Description of the Related Art
By the time a person reaches twelve years of age, their disks, ligaments, and cartilage no longer have direct blood supply for nourishment and elimination of tissue cell wastes. These tissues are then referred to as xe2x80x9cavascularxe2x80x9d tissues. Avascular tissues require nourishment and waste elimination to function normally, to repair and regenerate as when they were vascular. In order to nourish, repair, and regenerate avascular tissue, motion is now required to pump the nourishing fluids in and the waste produce out.
The required motion necessary for avascular tissue health can be prevented due to injury. The first reaction to an injury of the body is splinting by the related muscles to protect the injured part. Splinting prevents the voluntary motion necessary for nourishment, waste elimination, repair, and healing of the injury.
Experiments have been performed to determine the best treatment for repair and healing avascular tissue, such as spinal disks and ligaments. It was determined that immobility was harmful to the healing of mobile tissues, and that passive motion causes healing. Moreover, it has been found that chondrogenesis of bone and cartilage was produced by intermittent compression and traction.
Moreover, it has been found that loading and unloading cycles initiated by traction and compression of the spine to achieve cyclical long access loading and unloading of the injured disks of the spine cause a remarkable xe2x80x9cself-healingxe2x80x9d time. It has also been found by a number of tests that degenerated disks are actually stronger than normal disks when subjected to compressive loading and traction unloading cycles.
Hence, there is a need for repetitive loading and unloading of the skeletal system to aid in the recovery from injuries and the correction of neck and low back problems to improve posture and reduce pain.
The disclosed embodiments of the present invention are directed to a cervical traction device and method. The device includes a harness forming an enclosed loop having a rigid portion and a flexible portion sized and shaped to be fit around the user""s neck with the rigid portion under the user""s chin and the flexible portion around the back of the user""s neck; and a suspension assembly attached to the harness and configured to suspend the harness at a selectable height.
In accordance with the foregoing embodiment, the loop preferably has an adjustable diameter, and the rigid portion is configured to enable manual grasping by the user. The suspension assembly has an adjustable length and includes an elongate filament attached at one end to the harness and at the other end to an attachment device for suspending the harness from existing structural supports.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a cervical traction device is provided that includes a harness comprising a chin rest and a neck support and a suspension assembly for suspending the harness at a selected height.
In accordance with another aspect of the foregoing embodiment, the chin rest comprises a bar formed of rigid material and the neck support comprises a flexible strap having first and second ends attached to the chin rest, with one of the first and second ends removably attached thereto. Ideally, hand grips are formed on the bar to project beyond the attachment points of the neck support to enable manual grasping of the chin rest by the user. Preferably, tubular foam pads are placed over the chin rest and neck support to cushion the user""s chin and neck, respectively.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the foregoing embodiment, the suspension assembly includes a suspender that, in one embodiment, is formed from a flexible filament, such as a rope. In addition, the suspension assembly includes an attachment device formed at one end of the suspender, such as a hook that is sized and shaped to be placed over the top of a door. Ideally, the suspender has an adjustable length to enable the user to adjust the height of the harness such that the hand grips are even with the user""s should height.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a cervical traction device for use with an existing structural support is provided that includes an elongate rigid bar; a flexible band having first and second ends attached to the bar to form a loop sized to fit around the user""s neck with the bar under the user""s chin and the band positioned around the back of the user""s neck; an elongate suspender having a first end attached to the bar and a second end; and an attachment device connected to the second end of the suspender and configured for attachment to the structural support.
In accordance with the foregoing embodiment, the rigid bar preferably extends beyond the band to form hand grips. In accordance with a method for use with the foregoing devices of the present invention, the harness or loop is suspended at a selected height; the harness is placed around the user""s neck such that the chin rest is under the chin and the loop or band extends around the back of the user""s neck; the chin rest is manually grasped at hand grips formed thereon; and the user""s weight is progressively supported by the harness. The chin rest may also function as a head rest.
In accordance with the foregoing method of the present invention, ideally the harness and chin bar are suspended to be even with the user""s shoulders, and the hand grips are grasped with the user""s palms toward the face. Ideally, a repetition period in the range of one to twenty seconds is accomplished where the user""s weight is partially supported by the harness, and the number of repetitions are in the range of six to sixty.
In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the invention, the harness is placed around the user""s neck and a padded forehead rest is placed against the user""s forehead. The forehead rest has handgrips that are manually grasped by the user, and the user""s weight is progressively supported by the harness.
As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, repetitive traction using the device described above will produce loading and unloading cycles which aid in nourishing, repairing, and regenerating avascular tissue. It will also aid in the correction of neck and low back problems because of the effect it has on cervical spine lordosis and lateral spine angle deviations that cause impedance on the perimeter cord tracts that connect the brain, low back and legs. Furthermore, it is difficult to correct number two and number three cervicothoracic spinal posture configuration unless repetitive traction is performed first so that the visco-elastic properties of spinal discs and ligaments are lowered so that the addition of spinal adjusting followed by head, shoulder, and hip weighting procedures can be effective.